


make a meaning of the poison in this place

by QueenWithABeeThrone



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fic Sequel, M/M, Mollymauk Tealeaf Lives, Past Torture, cad and molly at the same time bc i love them both
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26082673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenWithABeeThrone/pseuds/QueenWithABeeThrone
Summary: Molly’s never alone with Caleb while he’s recovering—there’s Nott, of course, Caleb’s constant little green shadow, her wrist splinted after Jester set and healed it, and then there’s the rest of the Mighty Nein bustling in and out of the room. The clerics in particular come in the most often to check up on Caleb and how he’s healing up, because he’s gotten off the worst between him and Nott: burn injuries, a couple of fractured ribs, healed bruises and scars half-scabbed over, and bones that had to be rebroken and then reset again.(Molly did not stay in the room for that.)or: Molly and Caleb, and healing.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 172





	make a meaning of the poison in this place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mikkeneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikkeneko/gifts).
  * Inspired by [CONSUME (all these bitter waters)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17844014) by [Mikkeneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikkeneko/pseuds/Mikkeneko). 



> title is from Sara Bareilles' "Orpheus". this fic will not make sense if you haven't read the fic this was inspired by.
> 
>  **content warnings:** references to torture of a major character.

Molly has never been more thankful to Nott than he is the moment he sees her pulling their wizard along. He has also never been as quietly furious as he is the moment he sets eyes on Caleb and sees his state.

Or, no, that’s a lie. The _last_ time he was this angry was when Yasha, Fjord and Jester had been abducted. Fitting he’s this furious now, really, and he’s grimly glad Nott and Caleb himself took care of their captors before Molly could get his hands on them, because—well. He doesn’t quite like the person he started becoming before they ran into Caduceus, but that person’s got his uses, he has to admit.

Just—not right now. First call of business is getting Nott and Caleb healed, and the list of damages done to Caleb is an upsetting one. Broken bones that didn’t heal right, a fracture in the leg, multiple burns— _explosive trap,_ is Nott’s explanation, while Caduceus has set her wrist and healed her up.

The agreement amongst the Mighty Nein is unanimous—for the moment, they’re stuck. Caleb needs to get healed up better, and Jester orders him to stay in _bed_ so he doesn’t stress his healing bones (which had to be _re_ broken, which Molly was thankfully not in the room for) and burns too much. Healing magic can only really do so much, right now, and at the moment all it’s really done is speed along the natural healing process.

Molly, as he does when he’s stuck in one place a little too long and needs to let off some steam, decides to do something very, very stupid. He grabs Beau and says, “I’m in the mood to do something fucking stupid.”

“Uh-huh,” says Beau. “What kind?”

“Bar fight,” says Molly.

“Oh, yeah,” says Beau. “I can do you one better.” She leans in close to whisper in his ear, “I hear there’s a fighting ring in the shadier parts of town. Wanna go check it out?”

“Gods, _yes_ ,” says Molly, fervently.

So it is that he and Beau end up staggering back to the inn at half past midnight, with minor cuts, a couple of bruises, and two black eyes between them. Beau’s slung her arm around his shoulders, and the two of them are diligently trying to avoid collapsing on the sidewalk out of exhaustion when she says, “Did that feel good?”

“Did what feel good?”

“Punching somebody’s lights out,” she says. “Because, lemme tell you—that felt good.”

“God, yes,” says Molly.

“Good,” says Beau. “Because tomorrow we’ve gotta keep an eye on Nott and Caleb.” She nods to the inn, off in the distance but getting closer with every step, and says, “You know. When he and Nott got back, I just—I got pissed. And I couldn’t take it out on anyone, because god knows it wouldn’t be fair on them. Especially not Caleb, it’s not even his fucking fault a bunch of assholes thought he’d be an easy target.”

“Serves them right,” says Molly. “He roasted the shit out of them.”

“That he did,” says Beau. “But—to have that anger just, building up inside of you? Doesn’t help anyone. Fucks shit up, including you.”

Molly looks at her. “When did you get so fucking wise, huh?” he grouses.

“I was always fucking wise and shit,” says Beau.

“No, you weren’t,” says Molly, just to be contrary, and she smacks the back of her hand lightly against his arm. “ _Ow,_ ” he says, rubbing at his shoulder somewhat exaggeratedly.

“You should work out more,” Beau tells him.

“I work out enough,” says Molly, leaning against her, his tail curling around her ankle as they more or less stumble back to their inn together.

\--

Molly’s never alone with Caleb while he’s recovering—there’s Nott, of course, Caleb’s constant little green shadow, her wrist splinted after Jester set and healed it, and then there’s the rest of the Mighty Nein bustling in and out of the room. The clerics in particular come in the most often to check up on Caleb and how he’s healing up, because he’s gotten off the worst between him and Nott: burn injuries, a couple of fractured ribs, healed bruises and scars half-scabbed over, and bones that had to be rebroken and then reset again.

(Molly did not stay in the room for that.)

Still, Molly’s there the most often, because this _is_ Caleb, and the two of them currently are at—something of an impasse, regarding their mutual, highly inconvenient feelings. They’d agreed, before all of this had happened, to just start feeling it out. He feels a bit obligated to stick around as often as he can, now, at least just to make sure Caleb doesn’t try to get up and ruin the clerics’ hard work.

Although Molly supposes that between them, Caleb is much less likely to do so than Molly is.

But one day Nott does have to go—Yeza’s sent a letter asking if she’s willing to send back some alchemical materials for him, and so Caleb has shooed her out of the room to go soak up the sun, smiling wanly at her back as she leaves, hot on Jester’s heels. He keeps up the wan smile until the door clicks shut, then Molly watches it fall as Caleb sags back against the bed, fingers twisting in his sheets.

“You okay there?” Molly asks, putting down his latest embroidery. When they’d blown into Nicodranas the first time he’d picked up a new coat, and now he’s halfway through carefully embroidering a stylized silver dragon onto the back.

“ _Ja_ ,” says Caleb, but he winces as he speaks.

Molly makes his decision fast. “Budge up,” he says. “We’re cuddling.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” says Molly, already standing up and lifting the covers. “Budge up, there’s room in this bed for you and me and Nott. You should know. We both checked, before—all this.”

“ _Ja,_ I remember,” says Caleb, scooting over and turning on his side as Molly settles in next to him. He’s warm, and Molly leans his head against Caleb’s shoulder, careful not to jab Caleb with his horn, catches Caleb’s hand with his own.

“Is this okay?” Molly asks, quietly.

Caleb shuts his eyes, and breathes out slow. The tension seeps slowly out of his shoulders, and he leans against Molly as well, squeezing back. _Yes,_ he doesn’t say, but the squeeze is enough. Molly curls in close, laying his arm across Caleb’s torso, careful not to jostle any injuries.

“Tell me if anything hurts,” he says. “I mean it. This is for both of us, and it would be a very poor cuddle indeed if I ended up hurting you.”

“All right,” says Caleb, relaxing against Molly’s side. He winces, opens his mouth, closes it.

Molly gently taps the tip of his tail against Caleb’s ankle. “Caleb,” he says.

“That,” Caleb finally says, “does sting. Please—can you move your hand downward?”

Molly moves his hand downward, and Caleb sighs, relieved. “ _Danke,_ ” he says.

“You’re welcome,” says Molly. He presses a light kiss to the back of Caleb’s neck, feels him shudder slightly underneath. “I’m sorry,” he says, quietly, “that we didn’t get there sooner. We were going to.”

“I know,” says Caleb. “It is not something you should be sorry about. You or anyone else.”

“Still.” Molly sighs into Caleb’s skin. “It shouldn’t have happened that way. Do you know, I was sort of thinking I’d enact a grand rescue? Nott’s far more practical about it than I was.” He presses his forehead against the back of Caleb’s head. “To be clear. I’m not apologizing for those bastards. Fuck them, they died miserably. I’m apologizing because I feel like shit that we didn’t get there before you and Nott had to rescue yourselves, and before you got very badly hurt. I don’t like seeing you hurt like that, especially knowing it wasn’t something you got in a fight.”

“It isn’t as if I haven’t had worse,” Caleb points out. “Or done worse. In fact, I think it’s for the best that I was the one it happened to.”

“I think it’s still shit,” says Molly. “They didn’t know you’d done worse, or that you had worse, they just did it because they’re arseholes. And it shouldn’t have happened to you. It shouldn’t happen to anyone, period, but I’m biased, I’ll admit that, and I especially hate that it happened to you.” He presses another kiss, this time amongst the finer hairs on the back of Caleb’s neck. “I’m not a healer, so this is the best I can do, to help,” he says.

“You are helping, Mollymauk,” says Caleb, and Molly’s heart beats just that slightest bit faster at the sound of his own name in Caleb’s tongue. “More than you would think.”

“Good,” says Molly. He can’t resist the urge to press another kiss, this one to the very top of Caleb’s head. “Now sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

It takes longer than Molly would like, but eventually Caleb’s fast asleep. Molly tangles his tail around Caleb’s ankle, rests his hand over his torso, and lies there for a long time, listening to him breathe.


End file.
